It's hard times on the jamband circuit. With the cancellation of Bonaroo
NE, and the recent announcement by Terrapin Productions that they've given
up a couple nights of Phil & Friends shows they'd hoped to present, it's
obvious that even some of the best established promoters of roots oriented
improvisational music have fallen on hard times. One outstanding venue that's not a casualty yet, but finds itself in a tight spot, is Sunshine Daydreams, an idyllic campground/showground in the West Virginia Appalachian mountains.
For five years, the folks at Sunshine Daydreams have offered up some of the
best the roots music world has to offer. String Cheese Incident, Del
McCoury Band, Peter Rowan, Soulive, Karl Denson, ekoostic hookah... the list
is long and impressive. With room for up to 7000 campers and concertgoers
at the Terra Alta, West Virginia, site, it's a unique venue in a unique
spot, a mountain retreat just a couple hours from Pittsburgh, and less than
four hours from the Baltimore/D.C. area. In addition, they've become a
significant addition to the local community, throwing a benefit for a family
that was burned out of their home, incorporating food drives into their gate
operations and generally acting like the kind of folks we want to know and
do business with.
Sounds almost perfect, right? Great bands, great people, great spot, how
can they lose?
Well, business being business, right now there's a partnership problem. One
of the investors wants to use his money elsewhere, and it's a sellout or
buyout situation. Which brings us to the point here. Sunshine Daydream
needs your help, and you can help in a couple ways.
[Morning Bonfire]
First of all, if you happen to be within reach, there's a show coming up
that could be the make or break event in the venue's history. The annual
Jerry's Birthday Bash features a lineup that includes the Yonder Mountain
String Band, Blues Traveler, Rusted Root, Warren Haynes, ekoostik hookah,
Derek Trucks Band, Garaj Mahal, Juggling Suns and many more. Two days in
the mountains with some of the best jam/roots bands in the world is a pretty
good idea, right? Well, you've got to act all of a sudden, because it's all
happening from August 14-17. In addition to the great music in a great
place, you'll also get a chance to participate in a great auction, with
proceeds going to solve the current financial crunch, featuring shirts,
photos, recordings and various other paraphernalia and ephemera related to
the bands and the scene that Sunshine Daydream has been devoted to support
since its inception. There are still tickets available, and the $80 at the
door price includes camping in one of the most beautiful places you could
hope to spend a weekend, as well as some of the best music you could hope to
hear with some of the best people you could hope to meet. It's truly a
mutual benefit type benefit.
Some of us, though, are just too far away to get to the show. Never fear,
there's a chance for you to help, too. Sunshine Daydreams has its very own Paypal link, and if you can pitch in $20 or more, you too can get in on some of that t-shirt/CD action, through the generosity of many of the bands that have appeared at Sunshine Daydreams over the years (see www.sunshinedaydreams.com for details!)
One way or another, it's important to hold together in these times, to keep
our community spaces alive and to refuse to let the Bush economy defeat us.
There's a strong lineup in Sunshine Daydreams' future, with scheduled shows
featuring Mofro, Ray's Music Exchange, Psychedelic Breakfast, Oteil & The
Peacemakers and many more, and they're committed to keeping the doors open
and the stage filled as long as we make it possible. Even if you'll never
be there, our world - musically and spiritually - will be a better place as
long as there's a Sunshine Daydreams in it. See a show, hit the Paypal link
or visit their website for more information. Do what you can, and do it
today.
